Seattle Genetics, Takeda Report Phase3 AETHERA Clinical Trial Data From ADCETRIS

By RTT News, December 06, 2014, 11:20:00 AM EDT

(RTTNews.com) - Seattle Genetics, Inc. ( SGEN ) and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited reported data demonstrating that Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients at risk of relapse following an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) who received ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) as consolidation therapy immediately after ASCT had significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared to patients who received placebo (median of 43 months versus 24 months, respectively; hazard ratio=0.57; p-value=0.001).

ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30, a defining marker of classical HL. ADCETRIS has been approved in more than 45 countries for the treatment of relapsed or refractory HL and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). ADCETRIS is currently not approved in the AETHERA treatment setting.

The Phase 3 AETHERA trial was designed to evaluate the potential of single agent ADCETRIS to extend PFS post-ASCT in patients with HL who have at least one risk factor for progression. In addition to the primary endpoint of PFS, secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), safety and tolerability.

A total of 329 HL patients at risk of relapse were enrolled, including 165 on the ADCETRIS arm and 164 on the placebo arm. Patients received a median of 15 cycles of treatment on both arms, with an average of 12 cycles on the ADCETRIS arm and 11 cycles on the placebo arm.

Key findings include: The trial achieved its primary endpoint and demonstrated a significant increase in PFS per independent review facility (IRF), with a hazard ratio of 0.57 and a p-value of 0.001. Median PFS per IRF was 43 months for patients who received ADCETRIS versus 24 months for patients who received placebo. The two-year PFS rate per IRF was 63 percent in the ADCETRIS arm compared to 51 percent in the placebo arm.

Per investigator, the hazard ratio was 0.50. The two-year PFS rate per investigator was 65 percent in the ADCETRIS arm compared to 45 percent in the placebo arm. The median PFS per investigator has not yet been reached for patients who received ADCETRIS versus 16 months for patients who received placebo. Very few progression events have been observed beyond two years.

One death occurred within 30 days of ADCETRIS treatment from treatment-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) associated with pneumonitis. One death occurred on the ADCETRIS arm at Day 40 from ARDS following an episode of treatment-related acute pancreatitis, which had resolved at the time of death.

Submission of safety data from the AETHERA trial to the FDA is a post-marketing requirement that Seattle Genetics will fulfill in its planned supplemental BLA. Takeda plans to submit data from the AETHERA trial to regulatory agencies in its territories.

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

More:
Seattle Genetics, Takeda Report Phase3 AETHERA Clinical Trial Data From ADCETRIS